How To Keep God As A Priority Over All Things

The German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe grasped the importance of priorities. He said, "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least."

With many things seeking attention in this constantly evolving world, it takes a focused, disciplined, and visionary person to prioritize the things that matter most. If you grew up in church and attended Sunday schools, putting God first and prioritizing the things of the kingdom is common teaching you probably have heard regularly. Now, you will often hear slogans like,

"God first, others second, I am third."

Even though these slogans sound good, many people still find it hard to figure out how one can put God first and keep him as a priority over every other thing. You must also be familiar with Matthew 6:33 which says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

Look at the emphasis there, "Seek First". So there are things to seek first, other things you seek second, things you seek third, and the list goes on.

God should be first in your life. He should be your priority in life. If you seek God first, He will take care of all the other areas of your life. A literal explanation of that scripture is that you should be in pursuit of God alone to the extent that every other thing you left to pursue Him will be added to you.

I must tell you that seeking and keeping God as a priority in your life will not be easy. The world, the flesh, and the devil will conspire together to keep God low on your list of priorities. However, you must not allow it.

The essence of this devotional is to highlight ways you can prioritize God and keep Him at the top of your life and list.

Start Your First Hour of the Day with God

There is little or no distraction when you're having your devotion with God very early in the morning. According to Mark 1:35, scriptures recorded, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed". Jesus understood the benefits of having the first hour of the day with His maker and maximized it. Sometimes, you'll be tempted to postpone your quite time till evening but by then, you would have been exhausted and may have little or no strength to seek God.

"O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: My soul thirsted for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;" Psalm 63:1

Be Part of a Christian Community

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching". Hebrews 10:25

One of the reasons why being part of a Christian community will help you keep God prioritized above everything is that it allows you to be committed to the Lord and provides you with a support system when you go through tough times.

Consider God First in Taking Any Decision

You shouldn't claim to keep God as a priority in your life when you don't consider Him in making your decisions. Considering God could simply mean acknowledging God. Let what the Word says be what guides your everyday decisions. Stop trying to figure out things all by yourself and trying to make decisions with no thought of God in it. As a matter of fact, God interprets it as pride, that you're sufficient of yourself.

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5–6

In conclusion, "Jesus taught that your highest priority must be your relationship with Him. If anything detracts you from that relationship, that activity is not from God. God will not ask you to do something that hinders your relationship with Christ". Therefore, ensure you keep God as a priority above every other thing.

Spread Love, Spread Jesus